Gum Grafting In Implant Dentistry

When teeth are extracted you can loose soft tissue( gum tissue).This can be replaced/regrown by gum grafting procedures. These procedure can be performed both prior to and following implant placement.

Grafts can be obtained from your own tissue ( called autologous grafts) or from cadaver grafts.

Using your own tissue means having a second surgical site( the donor) site. The most used site for dental grafts is the palate( roof of your mouth). Although these work well the donor site can be very painful and take along time to heal. Also if multiple grafts are required you may need several surgeries to obtain enough tissue.

Cadaver grafts have the advantage of sparing you a second surgical site, and there is no limit to the the number of sites that can be grafted. The major player in cadaver grafts is ALLODERM from the united states. This product has been in use for over 15 years in the US and has never been linked to disease transmission.It now has provisional approval in Australia through the TGA.